Wedge type golf clubs are generally a specific type of golf club head with an increased loft angle to allow a golfer to execute a short ranged golf shot with improved trajectory, accuracy, and control. This increased loft angle in the wedge type golf club generally yields a golf shot with a higher trajectory because the impact surface is at an inclination, allowing a golf ball to move up along the inclination of the wedge as it strikes a golf ball. Due to this increased inclination, the golf ball leaving the wedge type golf club head may generally have a backwards rotation more commonly known as “backspin” within the golf industry. Backspin on a golf ball being struck by a higher lofted wedge type golf club head may generally be a desirable trait as it generally increase the trajectory, accuracy, and control of a golf shot.
Backspin helps improve trajectory, accuracy, and control of a golf shot by giving the golf ball a gyroscopic effect, which stabilizes ball flight, hence increasing accuracy. Moreover, backspin also serves to increase control of a golf shot as backspin minimizes the roll of a golf ball after landing, creating a more predictable golf shot after it lands on the ground. One of the most common way to impart spin on a golf ball struck by a wedge type golf club head is to utilize a plurality of one or more grooves placed horizontally across the striking surface of the wedge type golf club head capturing a golf ball as the golf ball slides upward along the striking surface of the wedge type golf club head, thus creating backspin.
In addition to utilizing a plurality of one or more grooves, additional methods to increase the amount of backspin on a golf shot executed using a wedge type golf club head include increasing the coefficient of friction on the striking surface of the wedge type golf club head. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,787 to Shira titled Golf Club Including High Friction Striking Face ('787 patent) discloses a golf club provided with a metallic golf ball striking surface wherein the striking surface has hard particles embedded therein with portions of the particles protruding above the surface so as to provide greater frictional grip between the golf ball striking surface and the golf ball.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0254032 to Lutz et al. titled Golf Ball Having High Surface Friction ('023 patent Publication) provides an alternative solution to the '787 patent by disclosing a golf ball with an increased coefficient of friction instead of a golf club with the increased coefficient of friction. The '032 patent Publication discloses a golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein an outermost surface of the golf ball has a coefficient of friction of greater than 0.6.
As can be seen from above, the current practice in the art increases the coefficient of friction in an attempt to increase spin. However, increasing the coefficient of friction might not maximize the amount of spin achievable in a wedge type golf club; as increasing the coefficient of friction between a golf club and a golf ball decreases the distance that a ball may slide up the wedge type golf club head. In an alternative approach to maximizing spin, it may be desirable to create a low coefficient of friction between the wedge type golf club head and the golf ball instead of increasing the coefficient of friction. Lowering the coefficient of friction allows the golf ball to travel further up the surface of the wedge as it is struck by the wedge. Despite the fact that lowering the coefficient of friction between the wedge type golf club head and the golf ball seems to contradict the conventional methodology shown above, the fact that the golf ball is allowed to travel further up the surface of the wedge club head increases the number of grooves the ball may come into contact with, resulting in an increase in the total amount of backspin that may be generated by the horizontal grooves.
Another important performance characteristic in a wedge besides spin is the ability to create a solid contact between the wedge type golf club head and a golf ball. In order to create solid contact, it may generally be desirable to keep the face of the wedge free of any water and debris. Wedge type golf club heads, being a versatile scoring clubs with improved trajectory, accuracy, and control are often used to hit a golf ball that land in the rough areas of the golf course. Rough areas may tend to generally have longer grass that could attract and retain moisture and debris, making shots out of the rough more difficult. Because wedge performance relies on the quality of contact between the wedge and the golf ball, it is important for a wedge to have sufficient ability to tread through the rough grass areas of a golf course while removing the water and the debris that could interfere with the quality of contact between a wedge type golf club head and a golf ball. In order to help shed water and debris, numerous methods have been used to apply a water repellant and self cleaning coating onto golf balls that may be hydrophobic or superhydrophobic.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0280699 by Jarvholm entitled Water Repellant Golf Balls Containing a Hydrophobic or Superhydrophobic outer layer or coating ('699 patent Publication) discloses a water-repellant, self-cleaning coatings and methods of making and using thereof. In one embodiment, a hydrophobic or superhydrohphibic coating is applied to the surface of a golf ball to make the golf-ball water-repellant and self-cleaning.
Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,956 by Matthews entitled Apparatus and Method for Recording the Impact Location Between a Golf Ball and a Golf Club ('956 patent) discloses an apparatus and method for recording an impact location between a golf ball and a golf club wherein the recording member is treated by chemical or other means to increase its water or moisture repellence.
It can be seen from above that neither of the cited reference sufficiently provide a way to create a wedge type golf club head with hydrophobic properties that allow moisture and debris to be shed from the face of the wedge type golf club head. Having a hydrophobic coating on a golf ball is different from having a hydrophobic coating on a wedge, as the golf ball may generally remain static and the wedge type golf club is the one moving with speed and momentum. Hence it can be seen there is a need in the field for a wedge type golf club head with a coating on at least the striking surface that decreases the coefficient of friction to create more spin as well as offer hydrophobic properties.